Increasingly, mobile electronics devices such as telephones, e.g., smartphones, navigation systems, entertainment devices, tablet computers, e-book readers, and the like are being used in vehicles as an alternative to electronics components permanently built into the vehicle. For the user, this has the advantage that is possible to use his or her own electronics device both inside and outside the vehicle, and to easily exchange the electronics device for another, e.g. for a technologically improved model, without requiring complicated retrofitting procedures.
When using mobile electronics devices in a vehicle, different types of device holders that are able to hold the device at a fixed position inside the vehicle are known. In order to prevent theft of an electronics device from a parked vehicle, however, it has been suggested to stow away not only the electronics device when leaving the vehicle but also the device holder in order not to give an indication that the electronics device may still be present inside the vehicle, e.g. in a glove compartment.
For example, a conventional device holder assembly is formed as part of a compartment formed in an automobile dashboard. The compartment has an upward-facing opening. The device holder can be swiveled between an out-of-use position wherein the device holder is contained within the compartment, which is closable by a roller shutter, and a use position wherein the device holder is swiveled out of the compartment. After a user has swiveled the device holder into the use position, the roller shutter is closed partially to mechanically support the device holder from the backside. Before swiveling the device holder back to the out-of-use position, the roller shutter is to be opened again to expose the compartment opening.
However, it is desirable to render the process of changing a device holder between a use position and an out-of-use position where the device holder can be stowed away more conveniently.